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ORONO WEEKLY TIMES, THIURSDAY, OCTOBEP. lOti, 1968 Table Manners A The Lord's Supper Seripture Reading: Luke 14.- 7-24 Read by The 1ev B. Long, World-Wide Communion Service Written by Eugene H. Peter- son, Minister of Christ Our King United Presbyterian Church, Bel -Air, Maryland. Two things found in every 'horne are a place to was5h and a place to eat. A wash basin and a dinner table are basic Vo aur liv- ing. And you aren't supposed, Vo cat off the table until you- have washed in the basin. Cleansing is preparatory to nourishment. We have llttle trouble etforcing that rule in ouir home - the' food on the'table is a1ways more attrac- tive Vo the children than the wat- er in the basin. -But even though it is difficuit Vo enforce anmong ehuîdren, most of us accept the connection between basin and table as both naturel and neces- sýary. Two things found in every ,;cbiureh are a placeVo wash and, -, place to eat. A baptismal font ond a communion table are basic to, our living. And you aren't sup- posed o eat off the table until you have washed in" the font. Cleansing is preperatory to nour- ishment. Baptism lcads Vo the Lerd's Supper. As in our homes forms of eti- quette defihe and expedite the comrnon life; aiso in the church formns of etiquette are devcloped around the font and the, table. A luster of parables in Luke 14 suggest some of the manners as- sociated with the Lord's Table. They are parebles that have Vo do with eating; and eating, et table in the Scriptures ordinarily en- visiotis the' sacrement of the I.rd's Supper. The first parable deals with Our etitudes. When invited Wo a marriege feast, Jesus saiid, do noV go in and sit et the head table, the plaç e of, honor. t might be that the- man who invited you will have invit- ed some others who are more important than you and has timat place savcd fo r them. LaVer, he will corne in with this farnous person, and, when he finds you in the place, he will have to esk you Vo move. t would be embar- rassing before the whole cow.pany Vo be displaced and have to sit off in a corner by yoursclf., In- stead, said Jesus, when you go in find yourself the lowest place, the place at the table where you will be least exeltig yaurseli. There is always the possibility that, when' the master of the feast cornes in, ho will see you there and will personaily escort you to a high and important place at table. Protocol will be revers- ed in your favor. The parable teaches the basic, courtesy of the Tab le. We don't push and shove in orderVo be in place to geV our favorite dish. The Table is not to be approach- ed in pride, arrogance, or self- importance. It is noV Vo be used to gain our own ends. Our Lord iq host et the Table. He invites ,s. 11e seiats us. 11e serves us. t is not the place where we show off our righteousness. It is the Table where we receive His righteousness. The second parable talks of our associates ýat the Table. Jesus said that, when you give a dinner or a banquet, you.should not carefully sereen your invita- tionls so that you will be asking only those persons who will be likely Vo respond with a similar invitation to you. Don't pick on yoùur friends, brothers, relatives, or neighbours. A dinner is not a device for meeting socifal obli- gations: a. dinner is an occasion to feed people, se you should in- vite those who Most need to be fed. When we consider ahle of the Lord's understand that it is of whorn our Lord this a par- Supper, we a statement invites. Al who need nourishjment are invit- ed. Christ does not eall to his Table persons wlio he thinks can help his cause. He -doesn't pick out the key leaders of the comn- munity and ihvite them. He calîs those who need food and wish to et with Him. There are noe ob- ligations in corning to the Table. It is set with a meal that is a free gift. This gives us a new perspective of Our owin association et the Table. If our Lord invites on these premises, then we are not allowed to suggest other bases for an invitation. This is what makes segregatlon such a travesty in the church. People argue that thbey cen assoc4>ate, with whom ever they wish. And that is true enough. But, when they further assert that they will net associ- ate with Negroes in the ehurch, that is flot truc. They, can stay away if they will, but the ehurch Js Ohrist's church. H1e issues the invitations. H1e calîs ail men. "Whosoever will rnay corne." The second courtesy of the Table, then, is that we accept al who have been celled to it as hon- ored guests. We find our associ- ations noVihi the basis of color, or race, or education, or neigh- borhood, or interests. We find our associations on the basis of the common call and invitation of Christ. Look around you this moring - each person here is There are probably as many good reasons for buying Canada Savings Bonds as there are Canadians. There are the hopes, plans and ambitions you have for yourself and your family. There is the desire, which all of us share, te play a part in building the future of our country. The simple, safe, profitable way te help realize these goals is te buy Canada Savings Bonds, They offer an excellent refura. The average yield te. maturity is 6.75%/ a year. There are fourteen annual interesV coupons which begin at 5.75%/, and risc te 7.00%/, for each of he lest nicc ycars. These can be cashcd each ycar as thcy become duc. Better still, if you choose te kcep these coupons uncashed, you cen earn iaterest on your interest. Take full advantage of 'P this option and, when your Bonds mature, your total interest-earnings plus your original investment will amnount te $250 for each $100 invested. They are available to everyone. Canada Savings Bonds are available Vo every Canadian resident in amnounts from $50 up to $50,000, for cash or on instairnents, wvhere Ver you work, bank or invest. AduIts, children, businosses and institutions-ahl may buy tbern. They are instant cash. You can cash them ehy time at any bank in Canada at their full face value pltus earned interest. Few investments are se profitable. None builds more surely for the future. Buy inte Canada loday. Buy Canada Savings Bonds. It pays. A third man gave the excuse Ühat hie had rnarried a wife. 0f course hie couldn't come. But Vils was .the rnost inexcusable of the excuses. It takes thue Vo rnarry a wife. Preparations have Vo, be made, engagements announced, Parental' approval' gailied . Al this in the ancient East took months. The date of the banquet ta which the man had heen in- vited had been know'n to hlm for a long time; yet h le didb't hink enough of it to arrange bis wed- ding to mnake roorn for it. The master of the feast is fur- ious 'when hie hears thcexcuses. Not one of the persons hie invit- ed had enqughi regard for his in- vitation tg arrange his affairs to corne. So lhe sent his servant out into the streets and lanes of the City Vo invite anyone who wantedý a free meal. The servant did as hie had been instructeld, but there were still empty places. The master went further and sent hlm out of the city into the ceuntryside to persuade anyone he could to corne. Put yourself i n his place. You have preparcd a large dinner and have invited several 'couples a montb fin advance. They have al agreed to save the night and joir you for dinner. On the day of the dinrier, a-. bout four o'clock in the after- nooan, hei telephone begins' Vo ring. The first man seys: "I say, I think I have an important busin- ess deal coming to a head and, if in not rigbt here, I migbt lose a lot of money. Sao I won't be coming ta dinner tonight. Sorry," The second caîl cornes ani the voice says: "I'm really excited. 1 purchased a new car this aiter- noon. Lýt is a real honey - bucket seats, stick shift, autornatic win- dow lifts. I can't wait ta drive ît around a littie, so J won't be able ta corne ta dinner tanight. l'in really very sorry as I was oocking forward ta it, but a mac doosn't get a new car every day you knov." The terhane rings a third fime and the vaýice says: 'Terrib- ly sorry, but I just renernbered that this is our wedding auniver- sary and I thaought niaybe an ev- ening it an expensive, quiet rest- aurant, just for ny wife and me, would be the right thing. Sa we wan't be corning ta dinner ta- nighit. Maybe another time. " And there you wquld sit with the table set, the, candleýs ready ta be liglited, atîi the Prime nib- roast ready ta corne out of tihe aven. You are prepared for yaur guests, but, no'w, there wili be nol guests. The third courtesy of the, Table is that, it be given absolute prierity; the invitation -must hc taken with the utmast seniaus3- ness- Thes&. parables provide a bib- Centinued page 7 CS.6S-U one who is invited by Christ te eat here. If he is good enough for Christ, 'he had better be good enough for us. The third, parable emphasizes the importance of the Table. 1A man once gave a great ban- quât and invited a large crowd. It was the custom in those days to, issue two invitations. Ote was delivered several months .ahead of Lime to give everyone time to make preparations; as we would say, to fit into our scihedule. A second invitation came just býe- fore the banquet was to be serv- ed to let the guests know that it was ready. In the parable, whehi this second invitation came (to those who had aceepted tile fist) the guests ail began to make ex- cuses. Although they hiad had ample opportunity to have their affairs arranged in order to corne, other things had been allowed. to take priority. One man'gave the excuse that he had bought a field and had to go and see it. A commercial trans- action was hanging fire and he had to be there to make a fast buck. A second man had bought five yoke of oxen and had to examrine tliem., They were his latest ac- quisition and he couldn1t, wait to get a good, first-hand look, 'to feel tlwir, muscles, to assess their stxe¶ngth,,'and to admire their co- ordination under the yoke.,